Alex Castellanos, GOP Strategist: Clinton Speech Was 'Moment That Likely Reelected Obama'

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Former President Bill Clinton's speech on Wednesday night was a tour de force that exhibited his best qualities as an easily relatable communicator and effective yet likeable attack dog. And in a telling nod toward its effectiveness, the one aspect that Republicans felt comfortable attacking was its length of nearly 50 mintues.

Some conservatives didn't bother with that. Appearing on CNN shortly after Clinton finished, Alex Castellanos, a longtime cable commentator and former aide to Mitt Romney, spoke in awe of the 42nd president's address.

"I would recommend to my friend Paul [Begala] here, tonight when everybody leaves, lock the doors. You don't have to come back tomorrow. This convention is done," Castellanos said. "This will be the moment that probably re-elected Barack Obama. Bill Clinton saved the Democratic Party once, it was going to far left, he came in, the new democrats took it to the center. He did it again tonight."

This is a classic cable news overstatement. Certainly a bit more time is needed before declaring the convention over, let alone the election. But the comment still underscores the advantage the Democrats have in being able to trot out a former president to help with the sell. While Clinton brought down the house at the Democratic convention, both former president Bushes addressed the Republican convention via a largely humorous, somewhat nostalgic video.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/alex-castellanos-obama-clinton_n_1859947.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics

Krauthammer: DNC Has Known What Weather Will Be For ‘Months’

Fox News analyst Charles Krauthammer claimed Wednesday that there was no way officials moved President Barack Obama's speech indoors due to concerns about the weather, claiming Democrats have known what Thursday's weather will be for "months."

"It wasn't the weather, they knew what the weather was going to be months ago. This was clearly a response to the fear of a sea of empty seats, and that's why this is being done," Krauthammer said.

Campaign officials had called the decision to move Obama's speech out of Bank of America Stadium a "public safety decision," but Republicans have charged the Democrats wouldn't have been able to fill the stadium to capacity.


http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/krauthammer-dnc-has-known-what-weather-will-be

CHP officer pronounced dead following shooting on I-680

WALNUT CREEK -- A California Highway Patrol officer shot during a traffic stop along Interstate 680 in Alamo was pronounced dead Wednesday even as investigators continue to seek answers in the incident that led to his death.

Kenyon Youngstrom, a 37-year-old father of four from Cordelia, was pronounced dead at 6:05 p.m. at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, the CHP announced. He had been on life support there following the Tuesday morning shooting, when a man stopped for an obscured license plate pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.

"He was a kind person, a giving person, a family man with a great sense of humor," CHP Capt. Jonni Fenner said in announcing Youngstrom's death Wednesday night. "I also want to add that he loved his job, and he loved serving and believed in contributing."

Fenner made the announcement just after 7 p.m., yards away from the hospital lobby where CHP officers from throughout the state entered throughout the day to pay their final respects. A CHP helicopter hovered above the medical center shortly before the announcement of Youngstrom's death and sounded a horn in what appeared to be a tribute.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_21471768/walnut-creek-chp-officer-shot-during-freeway-stop?source=most_viewed

Michelle Obama's dad went to work every day with MS?

It was not until last night that I leaned that Michelle Obama's father also had MS. Yet, every day he got up on his walker and went to work so his kids would have a better future. I know it's also been difficult for Ann Romney, but I suspect she's had better access to the best meidcal care and therapists money can buy. Also, she's been able to go to work and....wait a minute, she didn't. Anyway, I am sure Obama's father received all the attention and pity he sought......wait a minute, he didn't. Never mind.

Craig Crawford: Michelle mashed Romney into tiny pieces.

Gotta say, I've seen maybe hundreds of party convention speeches and Michelle Obama's on Tuesday night could be the best ever, a stunning and subtle blend of the personal, the political and the freakin awesome.

Without mentioning Mitt Romney she mashed him into tiny little pieces. She deftly, without naming names, drew the picture of an arrogant jerk who makes it to the top and then slams the door behind him so no one else could follow.

She forged a bond with middle class Americans in a passage about her early life -- and Barack's -- that truly stands out: "We have learned about gratitude and humility. So many people have had a hand in our success, from the teachers who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean. We were taught to value everyone's contribution and treat everyone with respect."

And who could miss the sting of this line: "For Barack, success is not about how much money you make. It's about the difference you make in people's lives."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-crawford/michelle-rocks_b_1856686.html?utm_source=Alert-blogger&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Email%2BNotifications

Democratic Split Over Education Reform Tested By Hollywood Movie

WASHINGTON -- The most controversial thing to happen at the Democratic National Convention this week may end up being a movie screening.

On Monday afternoon, a Hollywood film called "Won't Back Down" -- which opens in theaters nationwide on Sept. 28 -- will be shown to a select crowd of convention-goers in Charlotte, N.C., just as it was one week prior at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.

But unlike Tampa, where the promoters had little concern about making waves with the party establishment and had no trouble when they ran the idea past the Republican National Committee, the request for a Charlotte screening went to the highest levels of the Obama administration, which passed the decision off to the Democratic National Committee, according to a source with knowledge of the chain of events. According to this source, Valerie Jarrett, Obama's close personal adviser, and David Plouffe, his top political adviser, both saw the request but eventually handed the decision over to the DNC's political director, Patrick Gaspard, who raised no objections.

In Tampa, the movie received an overwhelmingly positive response. During one pivotal scene involving Viola Davis' character and her son, people could be heard crying throughout the theater.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/02/dnc-education-reform_n_1850089.html

10 Worst For Women's Health

Republican Convention Ratings Down from 2008

Continuing the trend, TV ratings for the final night of the Republican National Convention were down compared to 2008. 25.28 million viewers tuned in to see Mitt Romney accept the GOP nomination and Clint Eastwood make a... memorable appearance. The numbers were an improvement over the previous night's viewership, which was just over 20 million.

Yet again, audiences peaked during the finale speech. MSNBC actually peaked towards the end of the speech rather than the beginning.

Yet again, Fox News dominated in the 10-11 p.m. slot, doubling the next competitor with almost 9.1 million viewers. The next closest was ABC with 4.4 million viewers. The next nearest cable network was CNN with 2.3 million viewers.

Not surprisingly, all the networks had drop-offs from their 2008 numbers. NBC's fell by 56 percent with its audience. CNN also had an over 50 percent fall from 2008. Fox News had the least amount of drop off as they were almost flat compared with the record breaking 2008 introduction of Sarah Palin.



http://www.nationaljournal.com/2012-election/republican-convention-ratings-down-from-2008-20120831